Mario Balotelli Threatens to ‘Kill’ Racist Banana Chuckers

On Tuesday, Mario Balotelli promised to walk off the field if he is racially abused at the European Championships. A day later, he vowed to impose a much stiffer sentence on any racists he encounters outside of the field of play.

The Manchester City and Italy striker threatened to kill anyone who throws a banana his way, according to Reuters.

Balotelli, an Italian of Ghanaian descent, was racially abused by opposing fans when he played in Italy's Serie A for Inter Milan. He spoke of a 2009 incident in a bar in Rome when a fan of AS Roma threw a banana at him.

"I will not accept racism at all," Reuters reports Balotelli told France Football. "If someone throws a banana at me in the street, I will go to jail because I will kill them.

"It was lucky the police arrived quickly because I swear, I would have beaten them. I would really have destroyed them. I hope it never happens again."

The 21-year-old shares the concerns of many that racism will be rife at Euro 2012. A recent episode of BBC's Panorama showed disturbing scenes of fans in Poland and Ukraine directing Nazi salutes and monkey chants toward players and fans of color.

Balotelli's threat is certainly an exaggeration, and high-level officials in both countries are trying to ease the fears of visitors.

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